Friday, October 23, 2009
Group challenges voter registration surge in bungalow area
Petitions challenging more than 150 new voter registrations in the Town of Bethel were presented to the Sullivan County Board of Elections Thursday afternoon, by County Legislator Dave Sager, who says a surge in registrations appears to be tied to part-time residents of bungalow colonies.
The surge, he maintains, seems to coincide with efforts to establish the United Talmudical Academy in Bethel. Sager produced a copy of the state Department of Health permit, stating that the UTA may use the bungalow colony “as a temporary residence”.
Sager, speaking in his capacity as a the spokesman and a founding member of the group Voters for Election Integrity, said this is only about meeting the legal requirements for permanent residency for purposes of voting in Sullivan County, and not about who the people are.
“Although New York case law states that a person may choose only one voting address from among multiple principal homes, that voting residence is valid only if the voter maintains ‘legitimate, significant and continuing attachments to his or her residence’.”
Clearly, Sager contends, bungalows occupied for at most three months out of the year, do not qualify.
Republican Election Commissioner Rodney Gaebel said he could not comment in depth on the petition.
“What we need to do is we need to look over what’s presented to us and make a rational decision as to how it should be handled.”
While he was reluctant to pass any early judgment, Gaebel said it’s hard to question Sager’s key point.
“To consider them permanent residents would be a stretch.”
http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/2009/October09/23/Bethel_reg_chal-23Oct09.html
The surge, he maintains, seems to coincide with efforts to establish the United Talmudical Academy in Bethel. Sager produced a copy of the state Department of Health permit, stating that the UTA may use the bungalow colony “as a temporary residence”.
Sager, speaking in his capacity as a the spokesman and a founding member of the group Voters for Election Integrity, said this is only about meeting the legal requirements for permanent residency for purposes of voting in Sullivan County, and not about who the people are.
“Although New York case law states that a person may choose only one voting address from among multiple principal homes, that voting residence is valid only if the voter maintains ‘legitimate, significant and continuing attachments to his or her residence’.”
Clearly, Sager contends, bungalows occupied for at most three months out of the year, do not qualify.
Republican Election Commissioner Rodney Gaebel said he could not comment in depth on the petition.
“What we need to do is we need to look over what’s presented to us and make a rational decision as to how it should be handled.”
While he was reluctant to pass any early judgment, Gaebel said it’s hard to question Sager’s key point.
“To consider them permanent residents would be a stretch.”
http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/2009/October09/23/Bethel_reg_chal-23Oct09.html
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